BENGALURU: As the state gets ready to reopen schools on Monday, the police, district administration and education department officials were on full alert to ensure that the process is trouble-free and is not marred by protests over the hijab controversy.
The police in Mysuru and Udupi districts clamped Section 144 and banned congregations of people in a 300-metre radius of educational institutions to avoid protests over hijab row. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who was in Hubballi, said the police are keeping an eye on social media sites to ensure that false and incendiary statements are not uploaded provoking students and others. Strict action will be taken against such miscreants, he warned.
While the state geared up to contain the situation, Karnataka Wakf Board Chairman Maulana Shafi Saadi made his own effort to ensure peace in a communally charged atmosphere. He met Siddaganga Mutt pontiff Sri Siddalinga Swamiji at Tumakuru on Sunday and the two discussed ways to sort out the issue harmoniously and to resurrect the image of the state as a land of peace.
Shafi said miscreants from both communities have escalated the issue. “Religious leaders from all sections should work towards putting an end to the row after the Karnataka High Court passes its verdict,” he added.Meanwhile, former Prime Minister and JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda said the issue could have been resolved through dialogue by leaders of national parties, instead of them trying to gain political mileage out of it. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao too took up the hijab row to attack the BJP government at the Centre. He said the BJP government “has to be sent out as early as possible”.